Safety-fuse.



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LoUIs AuENDRoTII, or SMMERDA, GERMANY.

SAFETY-FUSE.

SPECIFICATION forming pr f Letters Patent N0. 675,993, dated June Il, 1901. Application filed November 6, 1900. Serial No. 35,669. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS ABENDRoTH, captain emtd., a subject of the King of Prussia, German Emperor, residing at vSom merda, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Fuses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the-art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to safetyfuses for high-explosive shells; and it consists,- essentially, in means for preventingr the inadvertent or premature explosion of the shell while handling the same either for loading ordnance or when transporting the shells.

In order to render the present specification easily intelligible, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference denote similar parts throu ghout the several views.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the fuse, showing the bolt or hammer in its position of rest-t'. e., secured against movement. Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the position of the parts when the shot has been discharged or on impact. Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections on lines l land II Il of Figs. 1 and 2, respectively.

The housing (t of thefuse is closed at the front end and turned out interiorly to receive the bolt d, the interior being enlarged at the rear end to receive the two retainingsections ff for securing the bolt in its position of rest. These sections are suitably guided within the housing on a transverselymounted guide-pin r/ and are normally pressed toward each other by means of springs lL, advantageously coiled around the said guidepin and lying in recesses of the said sections, as will be readily understood on reference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The rear end of the bolt d is turned down to form a neck d, having an enlarged [lange d2 at the end, and tne adjacent surfaces of the disks ff are turned out to lit around and inclose the said neck and collar, as indicated at d3 in Fig. 2. The front end of the bolt l is provided with the detonating cap (ll, while a tiring-pin l1 is iixed inside the head of the fuse, a spring lt' being'provided to normally press 'me bolt l toward the retaining-sectionsf. The two retaining-sections fare capable vof movement within the housing a and are each recessed at both sides of the reduced end of the b lt d to receive pins t t', which stand or lie in t Ie said recesses when the two sections are closed one against the other to engage the neck of the bolt.

The device operates in the following manner: Normally the bolt d is pressed rearwardly by the spring c, and its neck is engaged by the recessed part of the retainingsections ff by the action of their springs h h, so that a forward movement of the said bolt toward the firing-pin b' is impossible. As soon as the projectile is discharged the centrifugal power generated by the rapid rotation of the same'around its longitudinal axis will throw the twb halves of the retainingblock--z'. e., the sections ff-apaI-IG, thus releasing the collar of the bolt (l. The two sections are prevented from returning by the pins it, which fall down, as illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3,bet\veen the same as soon as the sections are farenough apart. The pins/stand upright in the groovesin the adjacent faces of the sections of the retaining-socket while the same are in their normal positions, as shown in Fig. .'3. When the sections are moved apart to a prearranged extent by centrifugal force,as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the pins fall out of their grooves and drop sidewisebetween the faces of the sections, so that the sections are locked apart and cannot move toward each other if the projectile should cease to rotate upon its axis before striking. On impact the bolt d is therefore free to ily forward, and the firingpin b' discharges the cap. The bolt d is 1ongitndinally bored out, and an opening is also provided in the end plate c to allow the effect of the discharge of the cap free exit.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, With a housing, a detonating cap, and a slidable bolt for firing the cap; of a retaining-socket formed in sections and normally preventing the said bolt fro sliding, and locking devices which drop aut i matically between the adjacent surfaces yof the said socket-sections and wedge them apart when the said sections are separated by centrifugal force suiiicicn-tly to release the sa'id bolt, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with ahousing, a detonating cap, and a slidable bolt for tiring the cap; of a retaining-socket formed in sections and normally preventing the said bolt from sliding, said sections being provided with grooves in their adjacent faces, and lockingpins arranged in the said grooves and free to fall between the ungrooved portions of the said faces after they have been separated by centrifugal force sufficiently to release the said bolt, substantially as set forth.

3. A safety-fuse for high-explosive shells consisting of a housinghavinga bolt With detonating cap mounted to slide longitudinally therein, an enlarged chamber in the said hous ing at the rear of the bolt, two sections mounted therein and guided transversely therein, said sections being capable of movement within the chamber to and from each other, means for lockingthe said boltto the sections when the latter are closed against each other and means for retaining the said sections apart after they have been thrown apart by centrifugal force te release the bolt in the manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

4. In a safety-fuse the combination of a housing having a boltlongitudinally movable therein and carrying thedetonatiug cap, two retaining-sections mounted within said housing and capable of transverse movement therein to and from each other, said sections being normally spring-pressed toward each other, a firing-pin in the front end of the housing and means for normally holding the bolt away from the same, means for coupling the said sections to the rear end of the bolt when the former are closed against each other and means for arresting them when thrown apart by centrifugal force to release the said holt in the manner and for the Dui-pose sub-' stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS AUENDRO'III. lVitnesses:

PAUL TEICHMANN, T. W. IETEns. 

